Running
by agathapotterhathawaychristy
Summary: Clara Hathaway is special beyond belief. Even she doesn't know the full length of her powers, but as war wages, Clara finds herself in the eyes of the one it surrounds. Voldemort. Sirius, however, will do anything and everything to protect her... even if she is a Slytherin. Friendships will be tested, love will be lost and found,but everything will change for Clara and her friends.
1. Running

Chapter 1

Running. Why is it that every eventful situation starts with running? Running from something, from someone… It never ends the way one thinks it would. Clara knew that feeling all too well. Having come from a long line of Slytherins of course she would be sorted into that house, but she never really liked the people, not like her father said she would at least. She had fun with them well enough, but it always felt wrong… like she never belonged with them. Of course when she told her father this, he slapped her and told her to never speak like that again. She was a Slytherin, he said, and there was nothing she could do about it so she might as well suck it up. He was right of course, he always was.

"Clara!" Fifteen-year-old Jenny Ryals yelled running after her best friend, "Get your arse back here and let me fix your hair. We have to be at King's Cross in an hour and I refuse to let you out and about looking like a troll! You're not even _dressed _yet!"

Running. Clara was always running. Whether it be down the hall of her friends giant manor, or down the halls of her own manor, or even down the halls of Hogwarts, fifteen-year-old Clara Hathaway was always running.

"I'll have you know that my hair looks fine," Clara yelled back looking over her shoulder at the dark haired girl with black eyes so deep one could easily fall forever in them chasing her. "You would see that if you'd stop running, love! And as for my clothes, well I thought I could just wear this."

Clara turned around running backwards to show off her short shorts and tight tank top.

"Damn it! Just a little straightening. I swear it won't do much."

Clara grabbed a lock of her milky brown hair. Naturally wavy (even thought her roots were as straight as can be), naturally long, and naturally silky. She tried to imagine herself with straight hair but the image was to horrifying to think of.

"At least let me do your makeup!" Jenny said catching up with Clara who was starting to lose herself in her own thoughts.

"Absolutely not! I would rather not have my checks painted red with more blush than anyone person would ever need. I would also rather not have to wear the ugliest green eye shadow know to mankind. I want to try and not look like a idiot. I will do my own makeup thank you, and I will do my own hair."

"Outfit then. At least let me do that for my mate."

Clara sighed. Jenny was always like this. They met when they were nine and since Jenny's mother died when she was seven she decided to take one the rolls of motherhood with her best friend. Clara never minded considering she had never had a mother before. Her mother died giving birth to her and for that her father had always hated her, so when Jenny came along she was delighted to have someone treat her like more than a nuisance.

"Fine," she could never say no to her best friend. "But I want more than one option and I get to pick which ever one I want with no further discussion about it."

Jenny smiled widely and dragged Clara back to her bedroom. The walls were decorated with posters of Quidditch players and boy bands. Jenny loved making her parents mad, that way maybe they'd pay the slightest bit of attention to her, and so she covered her room in Muggle things. She had a radio, a record player, a television (although she hadn't figured out how exactly to use that one yet), many Muggle posters and pictures that she had taken with her Muggle camera. And even though she had all of this in hopes that her parents would come into her room and yell at her, they never did.

Clara popped onto the king size bed, that she thought seemed a little too big for one small girl to take up, and watched as her best friend dug through the mountains of clothes, that Clara had brought with her when coming to this house, in her also oversized closet. While Jenny was huffing in frustration and picking up shirts and skirts just to throw them back down, Clara laid back and looked up at the tall ceiling. She imagined it was the night sky and stared looking through the constellations. She found Orion, Andromeda, Aquarius, and Cassiopeia. She remembered learning about all the stories when she was young, and loving the fact that she could learn more about them when she got to Hogwarts.

"I can't believe this is our fifth year there," Jenny said snapping Clara out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," Clara said looking at her friend, "You know I heard from a fifth year, well now sixth year, that this is going to our hardest year yet."

"Which means you need to stay out of trouble. Now that I'm a prefect, I can give you detention."

Clara sat up and stared at Jenny. "You'd give your best mate a detention?"

"Absobloodylutly. I don't want word of any type of trouble getting back to your father."

Clara winced. About a year ago she had turned up on Jenny's door step beaten and bloody asking to stay for a while. Of course Jenny let her and even though she asked multiple times Clara would not tell her what happened. Soon enough she had figured it out and told Clara never to go back there again.

_You can live here with me,_ she had said, _Merlin knows I need the company._

But Clara couldn't stay. She never could. Her father would get mad, and making her father mad had been the one of the two only things to ever frighten her. Last time something like that happened, he'd almost killed her. She had to miss the first semester of her second year because of it.

"Yeah well…" Clara said quietly looking down at her hands.

Sensing the tension Jenny started looking faster through Clara's clothing.

"Why the bloody hell haven't you packed yet? I mean honestly we have to leave in," she looked at the clock and screamed, "_Forty five minuets! _Here! Through this on, you look good in anything you wear anyway."

Jenny threw her a pale blue, almost white, sweater that constantly slid off her shoulder, and a pair of black shorts. As Clara was putting on the shorts, Jenny threw a pair of black combat boots at her head telling her to pack her things when she was done before walking out. When Clara was finished dressing she looked at the state of the room. Her clothes were everywhere, none of her trunks packed, her owl not in its cage (all though that was no surprise). But Clara Hathaway did not stress. With a simple wave of her hand, the room organized it's self and in a matter of second she was ready to leave.

Now no normal fifteen-year-old witch should be able to do that, but then again Clara was no normal fifteen-year-old witch. She was more powerful than most anyone else, even some of the teachers. Dumbledore had said that it was because of her mother, but he was never sure. Her father said that she was just a freak with unstable powers, but he knew exactly where it came from. Clara was never supposed to find out, but after overhearing a meeting with some of his…_friends… _she knew too. Jenny thought she was lucky to have this kind of power no matter where it came from, but Clara always thought differently. She was tired of everyone cowering away from her when she got mad or upset. Even Jenny did that at times. She was learning to control her power so why couldn't everyone just ignore it? It was hard enough knowing what came with the power, let alone everyone looking at her like she had some incurable disease.

"Clar Clar?" Jenny called from the den.

"Coming!" Clara yelled back. She took one last look at the room before dragging her things behind her as she walked out.

"Come on!" Jenny said pulling Clara's arm. "We have to get on the train or it'll leave us, we barley made it as it is."

Clara snorted. "We're twenty minuets early. Calm your tits Jen Jen. The train isn't going to leave for like ever."

Jenny groaned. As she started to put her trunks onto the train, Clara got an idea. An idea she knew that she would regret but also knew that it would be _so _worth it. Jenny's back was turned and with a moment of hesitation, Clara pulled out the wand that she had hidden in her back pocket, pointed it at Jenny's head and whispered the spell.

In seconds Jenny Ryals' black hair turned a bright pink. Clara covered her mouth holding her breath trying not to laugh at her friend. The best part was, Jenny didn't even notice. Clara knew that wouldn't last long, so in the midst of holding her breath she started backing away as quietly as she could. Jenny, who was too wrapped up in loading her things onto the train, bent forward and saw a strand of her hair. Clara backed up even faster taking the advantage of her friend's confusion.

"Clara?" Jenny asked anger starting to drip from her voice.

"Hmm?" answered still trying to hold her laughter.

"I'm going to kill you." And with that Clara turned around and ran as fast as she could. Jenny however just stalked after her with a murderous look on her face.

Clara turned around to see that she had lost her best mate in the crowd. Of course while making sure that she was, in fact, hidden in the large group of people, she lost her balance while quickly walking backwards. She would have fallen flat on her arse if someone had not been there to switch places with her.

Clara's back hit someone else's and instead of her falling she accidentally pushed the person to the ground. She quickly turned around and faced four boys, three of them standing smiles on their faces and one face first on the floor of the train station.

The first one she noticed was tall with messy black hair that stuck out in all direction and round glasses around his beautiful hazel eyes. The next one looked like the tallest of the boys with dirty blonde, pretty much drown, hair and sandy brown eyes. The smaller one on his left was a bit pudgy but still handsome with somewhat yellowish hair and black eyes. He was the least attractive out of the three that she was looking at. Which reminded her…

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed helping the last boy up by the arm. "Shit, I am so sorry I didn't even see you and…"

Her voice was caught in her throat as the last boy turned around. To say he looked like a God with his black hair and stormy grey eyes would be an understatement. He stared at her in what seemed to be shock and amusement.

"Holy shit…" she said in a quiet voice. She looked him over one more time before raising an eyebrow at him then at his friends, "Has anyone ever told you four that you're all kinda hot?"

All four of the boys laughed.

"Many times, love." Mr. Grey eyes said.

Clara smirked at him. She was about to say something when she heard her name.

"HATHAWAY!"

She whipped her head around to see Jenny stalking towards her.

"Ah," she said turning back to the boys with wide eyes and a panicked smile, "Sorry to cut this absolutely wonderful conversation short boys, but staring at the four of you isn't really worth dying over. Sorry again for knocking you down."

Then she pushed past the boys and tried to walk as fast as she could away before hearing, "Oh no you don't!" she turned to see that Jenny was now running. Clara screamed a high-pitched scream and ran.

"Get back here Hathaway so I can kill you!"

Clara started running in large circles with her pink haired friend chasing right behind her. "Oh come on Jen Jen! You look fit with pink hair, doesn't she boys?"

Clara looked over to the boys who were watching them and laughing the whole time.

"Oh yeah," Mr. Hazel eyes said, "So totally fit."

"Shut up, Potter, before I hex you." Jenny growled.

Clara suddenly stopped in her tracks making Jenny plow right into her. The girls both went down in surprised yelps. The four boys stood over the girls still laughing while Clara looked up to Mr. Hazel eyes trying to blow her hair out of her face. "Potter?"

"That's me," he grinned.

"As in James Potter?"

"Yep."

"As in the leader of the infamous Marauders?"

James Potter raised an eyebrow at her. "The very same."

"Which would mean that you three," she said slowly pointing at the others.

"Are the other three members, yeah." Mr. Grey eyes.

Clara had only heard of the Marauders before. She'd never actually met them. She's also seen some of their pranks and could only hope that they would never do anything to her. Clara admired the Marauders and the way they teased people. Some people, like Lilly Evans (who she has met), hated the four because they were what she called "bullies", but Clara didn't care. In fact one of her goals before she graduated was to get to know them and have sex with at least one of them.

"Well," she said getting up as quick as she could and brushing herself off, "If I had known I would be in the presences of royalty, I would have gussied up a bit."

"Look good to me," Mr. Grey eyes winked at her. "I'm-"

"Wait wait wait! Let me guess," she said putting her hands up stopping him.

She clapped her hands together and rubbed them before looking at Mr. Sandy eyes. She smiled only to have a smile returned. "You have got to be Remus Lupin. The kind one."

He laughed and nodded, "That's me."

"Clara," Jenny's disapproving voice came from behind her, "Why are you talking to these blood traitors?"

But her friend wasn't listening, "Yeah, yeah Jen Jen. In a minuet."

She looked at Mr. Black eyes and he nervously smiled back and looked down at his feet. "You must be Peter Pettigrew. The quiet one."

Peter just nodded.

She turned to potter next, "James Potter obviously. The funny one."

He flashed a grin.

The she turned to the last boy. "And that makes you Sirius Black. The sex god."

Sirius barked out a laugh and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "You know us, love, but we don't know you."

"I'm Clara Hathaway and-"

"And she's leaving," Jenny said hotly pulling her friend by the arm.

Clara, however, put up a fight. "Oh come on Jen Jen! Five minuets! Please? You know I've always wanted to meet them. Pretty please with a Hufflepuff on top? I mean you have the prefect's meeting and everything and you know you can't leave me alone so-" she final shook her arm free and ran to Potter clinging to his arm, "-why not leave me in the capable hands of these four? I swear I'll behave!"

Clara batted her eyes at her best friend. Jenny knew that she was never going to be able to say no, even though she didn't know why Clara wanted to be associated with _filth _like them. But finally after staring long and hard at her mate, Jenny gave in. "Ugh, fine. Do whatever you want with these four, but I swear on Merlin's beard if I hear of you getting into trouble, even the slightest bit, there's going to be hell to pay do you understand me Clara?"

Clara let go of Potter's arm and saluted Jenny, "Ma'am yes ma'am!"

"I mean it Clar Clar. You got in enough trouble last time, and your father-"

"Calm your tits, love. You know he's not going to find out about anything I do this year."

Jenny gave her a very worried look. "You said that last year…"

Clara's smile wavered a little in remembrance of what happened over the summer. But she shook the thoughts away and ran up and hugged her friend, practically pouncing on her. "Jen Jen, you worry too much. Look, go to your prefects meeting, flirt with some guys, make fun of people; I don't know. Just don't worry so much about me. I'm fine and I've always been fine."

Jenny rolled her eyes before giving Clara one last sad look and waving goodbye. When she was out of sight, Clara turned to the boys who all had weird looks of worry and understanding on their faces.

"Well, it was nice meeting you guys. Have fun with whatever it was you were doing before I so rudely interrupted." The she turned and walked away, well tried walking away before Potter grabbed her hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

She looked where he was holing her then back to his face surprise written all over her. Most people just let her walk away and do whatever it is she wants to do… so why was this one stopping her?

"Uh… well if you must know, I was planning to go find a nice snog and relax for a bit until Jenny was done with her meeting. Then we were probably going go find a compartment and take a nap or something…"

"You promised your friend you would stay with us," said Pettigrew.

Clara snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, I also promised her I would never turn her hair pink again but did you see her five seconds ago?"

The corner of Potter's and Black's mouths twitched.

"You've done that before?" Black asked quietly.

"Never mind that," Potter said waving his hand at Black, "When Marauders make a promise we stick to them."

She laughed. "Well I guess it's a good thing I'm not a Marauder, or I would be fifteen pounds lighter and a whole lot smarter."

"You seem pretty smart to me," Lupin said.

She winked at him, "You just don't know me yet."

"Plus you said that you had always wanted to meet us," Black said smiling, "So let's get to know each other."

Clara opened her mouth just to close it again. She could feel the heat rushing to her face. Had she really said that? _Ugh! _She thought, _I'm so lame._

"It's okay, love," Black said moving to take one arm while Potter took the other, "We defiantly want to get to know you too."

"Well," she said mostly to herself, "This was a total backfire."

All four of the boys laughed.

"No! Please stop I- I can't anymore…. I…" Clara was laughing so hard that it was becoming difficult to breath properly.

James laughed, "No really! Here I am about to pour the glitter in his trunk and I could tell he was having a nightmare but I wasn't about to wake him up so I just watched, and then he wakes up screaming like a little girl, and I swear Hathaway he pissed himself."

Sirius and Peter, who were both chuckling, always liked hearing this story about James' journeys to the Ravenclaw tower and how Irving Thompson called for his mommy. Remus would have loved it too if he wasn't at the prefect's meeting. Really; a Marauder a prefect? What a joke.

"Clara," the girl sitting in front of Sirius and James said after catching her breath.

"What?"

"Call me Clara. Hathaway is a terrible name."

"How come?" Peter asked.

The compartment had gone quiet. All three boys looked at their new friend, who smiled even though she was broken inside and hid her feelings even though all she wanted to do was cry. It was the way she was raised. She could never show her feelings to her father, because he would scold her. She could never show her feelings to Jenny because she would worry. Even when Clara had showed up on Jenny's' door step the summer before last with bruises covering her face and blood running down her broken arm, she still just laughed it off and pretended as if she had fallen on the way there.

"No reason," she answered even more quietly than the question that was asked.

"Clara…" Sirius started, but was interrupted.

"So!" Clara said snapping back to her happy self once more, "Did any of you know you'd be sharing a compartment with a Slytherin today? Or am I just lucky?"

"I'd say we're the lucky ones," Sirius said.

"Yeah," said James, "You're not much a Slytherin."

There was a snort at the door. Clara and her new friends looked up only to see Lucius Malfoy, Amycus Carrow, Evan Rosier, and Severus Snape. Clara knew the four boys standing in front of her well, and she also knew that they were up to no good.

"Hathaway not much a Slytherin?" Carrow snorted, "Yeah and my mother was a pixie."

"Your mother was a pixie?" Clara asked smirking at him. "Wow, didn't Carrow senior was into that kind of stuff. But to each his own I suppose."

Carrow narrowed his eyes at her. "Watch it bitch."

"How about you both watch it," Malfoy said with a bored look on his face. "Amycus apologize to Hathaway, Hathaway take back what you said about his dad."

"Sorry," Carrow said.

"I take back what I said," Clara said still smirking.

"Hathaway… lookin' fit this year," Rosier said.

Clara looked at him for a few more seconds before she started to gag and cough. "I-I'm sorry," she said between coughs, "but your face is giving me this sickening feeling and it just makes me want to," she started gagging again.

"He's got a point though," Malfoy said, "The summer has been _very _good to you."

"Well thanks, hon, but all four of you still repulse me."

"We need to talk," Snape said quietly.

Clara and Severus never really talked much to each other. In fact, they made it a point to flat out ignore each other, so him saying more than one word to her was a surprise. It must be serious.

"About?"

"You know what it's about." Malfoy said.

Clara sat back and put her index finger to her chin and tapped it.

"Hmmmm…" she said, "Could it possibly be about how much of a prat you are?" Malfoy tensed up but still kept his smile. "No, no, that's not it. You already know how much of a prat you are… Could it be about Carrow senior's late night fun time?" Carrow took a step forward with an evil look on his face, just to be held back by Rosier. "Nah. You guys aren't _that _perverted… Maybe it's about Snape's love for a certain red-head." Snape blushed something fierce and out the corner of her eye she could see James tense up as well. "No. Couldn't be, right Snapey? Maybe it's-"

"Maybe it's the fact that we know what you heard at the last meeting." Carrow said with his eyes still narrowed at her.

Clara's blood froze. Of course that's what it would be about. But she kept her face clam. "I have no idea as to what meeting you are referring."

"Bullshit."

"Carrow, if I knew what the hell you were talking about I would say something about it. I have no clue what think I heard but I was no where near that meeting."

"He wants to talk to you," Malfoy said.

Silence filled the compartment.

"Tell him," Clara said slowly and quietly, "that I have no interest in seeing, talking to, or being any where near him. Now get out."

"Hathaway-"

"I suggest to get out before I loose my temper." she said viscously.

The Marauders never thought she could be this cold, not to mention the looks of pure fear in the eyes of the Slytherin boys.

"Problem here?"

The four Slytherin boys turned to see one Jenny Ryals and one Remus Lupin staring at them with hard looks. The Slytherins eyes their prefect badges and sneered. "Not one that concerns you two." Snape hissed.

"See you later Hathaway," Rosier winked. And with that the four Slytherin boys walked away.

"Clar Clar?" Jenny poked her head inside.

"Oh Jen Jen you'll never guess what happened!" Clara ran up and hugged her friend pulling her inside making her take the exact opposite seat of her, right next to Sirius.

"What's wrong, sweets?" Jenny asked in a careful voice.

"Whenever you left I though I was going to go have a nice snog with some Ravenclaw boy or something, but these four," Clara waved her hand at the Marauders, "made me keep my promise to you. I haven't had a tongue in my mouth all day!"

Jenny laughed, relieved that nothing else had happened. "Good."

Clara looked at her best friend horrified. "Good? _Good_? How is that good?"

"Because you need to find a husband, not a snog," Jenny said her nose pointed up a bit, "And you'll never do that if people think you're a chav who goes the full monty with any boy she meets."

Clara stuck her tongue out at her friend, "You're so nice to me, Jen Jen." Then she turned to Peter who was sitting right next to her. "Peter?"

"Hmm?"

"Wanna snog?"

"Wha-wha-what?" Peter stuttered making everyone else laugh, "Me and you?"

"Uh huh." Clara said innocently.

"Bu-bu-bu-"

Clara rolled her eyes and laughed. "Calm down Petie ol' boy. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. But just know, I would gladly suck your face off if it made you happy."

"What about the rest us?" Sirius asked eyes twinkling.

"Ah, the rest of you. Mr. Potter could have lots of girls, but he only has eyes for one… or so I heard. Mr. Lupin is much too sweet to be used so needlessly like that. And you, Mr. Black, you could have anyone you wanted. You are the sex god of Hogwarts after all." She winked.

Everyone but Jenny laughed. She mumbled something about "blood traitors" before deciding to take a nap. About an hour later the conversations had died down and Clara herself decided to take a nap. About an hour after _that _they were all at Hogwarts. As they were leaving the train, the Marauders stopped Clara.

"So we'll see you at the feast then?" James asked.

"I'm sure you'll see me if you look hard enough," Clara smirked.

"Come sit with us," Peter said, "That way we won't have to look very hard."

Clara paused thinking about the offer that they were giving her. She knew she had to sit with Jenny and the Slytherins… but she didn't know why. Why would she have to sit with the people who she has seen do terrible things, save for one person of course. Why would she have to sit with the people who hate others for no reason whatsoever? She shouldn't, but she would. She would sit with the people who she has seen do terrible things and who hate others for no reason. It's what her father wants.

Clara opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Jenny hissed. "There is no way I'm letting my best friend sit with _filthy _blood traitors like you. I tolerated you on the train, but now we're at school and I refuse to have anything to do with you or let Clara have anything to do with you."

Clara chuckled at her friend. "Jen Jen-"

But Jenny wasn't having it. "No, Clara, we're leaving and you're never talking to _them _again. Understand?"

Before she could even answer Jenny stalked off. Clara turned to the four boys who stared after her friend in shock and anger.

"Sorry boys." She smiled sadly at them before running after Jenny. She caught up with her best mate and listened to her rant and rave about the four Gryffindors.

Smiling to herself, Clara knew that she would see those four again. After all she was running when they met, and every eventful situation starts with running.


	2. Letters

Chapter 2

Clara promised Jenny that she would stay away from the Marauders, but that seemed to be impossible. Especially since Horace Slughorn had seated her right between James Potter and Sirius Black. She tried to ignore their quiet little jokes and pranks but it seemed a bit too much by the middle of class.

"Miss Hathaway," Slughorn said, "Can you please tell me what I just said."

"No Professor I can not," Clara said trying her hardest to contain her laughter.

"And why would that be?"

"Because I wasn't listening."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're a bit boring."

The class erupted in small laughter. Well the whole class excluding Jenny and Lilly Evans, that is. They just glared at Clara.

Slughorn chuckled which surprised most people. "Would you like to come teach the class Miss Hathaway?"

Clara sat up straighter with excitement. The first day back to school and she was going to teach a class? That's another thing crossed off her to-do list before graduation. She grinned her widest and said, "Can I really?"

"By all means, come show me how to teach without being boring."

Clara jumped up and ran to the front of the class. She turned and looked at everyone that was staring at her. Clara being Clara just laughed at herself for actually doing this knowing full well that by the end of this she would probably have a detention, if not from Slughorn then from Jenny. "All right class! Are you all ready to learn?"

"Yeah!" James yelled making Clara smirk.

"Good because I don't tolerate nonsense, Potter. Four thousand points from Gryffindor!"

"WHAT?" Half the room yelled.

"And just for that little outburst I'm awarding Slytherin 5 million points. We automatically win the House Cup!"

Suddenly wads of paper started flying at her head while half the room booed her and the other half cheered. Clara held her arms in front of her face in defense. "Calm down people!" She yelled, "I was kidding. I'm not even permitted to take or give points, right Horace?"

Slughorn raised an eyebrow at Clara before nodding.

After that Clara taught the class for another half hour. Most of the students took notes while listening to her. She made people laugh and scream and even gave Snape a detention for being a know-it-all git, which the Marauders seemed to love. Even Jenny, who tried to be mad at her friend the whole time, ended up laughing at the end of class, which meant that Clara was _not _getting a detention. When it was over and all the students started packing their things into their satchels Clara yelled, "All right class now remember I want six inches on how amazingly awesome I am! It's due by next class or you can just give it to me in the hall if you finish early. Dismissed!"

After that rumor spread around that everyone in all of Hogwarts should write a six-inched essay on how amazing Clara is. Over the next couple of days she had people of all years, first through seventh, giving her essays. By the time the weekend rolled around, there were more than five hundred essays that she was planning on reading.

"Are you really going to read _all _of them?" Remus asked her while she and the Marauders sat in the Library studying together. Jenny would have come but the day before she said she was tired of random people coming up to her and asking her to give Clara essays, so she was going to stay away from Clara until everything blew over.

"Planning on it," Clara told him happily, "Wanna help?"

"Oh yeah," James said smirking, "I wouldn't miss all the blokes in this school confessing their love for you."

Clara laughed. "Neither would I, that's why I want to read all of them."

"Let's get started then." Sirius said picking one up. "_Dear Clara, I'm a first year and I don't really know you all that well but I have seen you over the last couple of days and honestly I can say you are one of the coolest people here and- _does this person know how to use commas or periods?"

"Doesn't matter," Clara said smiling, "Keep going."

"_-and I would really like it if we could be friends or something. Do you think that would be okay? I mean I'm a Hufflepuff and all but-"_

"Bleh," Clara made a face, "Next one."

"Not into Hufflepuffs?" Remus asked.

"They're too goody goody for me."

"Well here's one from a seventh year Gryffindor," James said smirking.

"Ooh! Read it!" Clara said smiling again.

"_Dear Clara, you don't know me very well and I can say that I've never really liked your house, but I've seen you around and you're actually kind of hot. Don't tell my friends I said that or they'll kill me. You're always smiling and laughing and you didn't hear this from me, but I've even heard some people say that your pranks are better than the Marauders. _I'm sure this certain Gryffindor has no idea what he's talking about, and definitely won't know what he's talking about when all his hair is gone tomorrow."

Clara laughed. "All right then, go to the next one."

"Ooh," Sirius said, "This one is from Snivellus."

Clara's smile vanished quickly as she snatched the parchment from Sirius' hands. Her eyes scanned over the letter and her frown slowly turned into a scowl. They never talked to each other, ever. So far this year he has not only said more than two words to her, but _also _written her a six-inched letter? Each time telling her that they needed to talk. What was Snape playing at? As she got nearer to the end of the letter something struck out at her.

_You wouldn't want your precious little blood traitors to you know what you're really like, would you? If you're not a good girl I might just have to tell them._

Now, Clara Hathaway was not one for taking threats lightly. Especially when they came from a Slytherin. The last person who threatened her ended up in the hospital wing for three weeks with wounds that Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal. And here she was again, someone else threatening her. Clara never knew why she responded so violently to these things… who cares if the Marauders know that she's the most powerful witch of her age? Who cares if they know why she's a Slytherin? She should just ignore Snape… and this time that is what she was going to try to do.

"Clara?" Remus' voice snapped her out of her very unhappy thoughts.

She looked at him, "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" James asked concern written all over his face, "Did Snivellus say something to upset you, because if he did I swear I'm going to-"

"Don't worry about it," Clara said pulling on a fake smile as she folded up the parchment and put it in her bag. She couldn't help but think what was so damn important to Snape and the others.

"Are you sure," Peter asked.

Clara laughed. "I'm fine, boys. I'll take care of it."

"We can help you know," Sirius said kindly.

"No," Clara said. "This is Slytherin business and I will handle it. He didn't upset me much, he just shocked me is all."

"How so?"

"Snape and I have never said more than one word to each other. We both have made a point of ignoring each other so when he talked to me on the train I was surprised but didn't really think much of it… but this?" she said, "Something is going on, and I suppose I'm going to be brought right in the middle of it."

"Well if you ever need help-" James started.

"You four would be the last people I came to." Clara could see the disappointment in their eyes. "Don't get me wrong, you guys are great and everything. It's just that I can usually handle things myself so if I were to ever need help it would mean that the situation has gotten out of my hands and that could become dangerous. And the last thing I want is for you four to get hurt."

The boys were quiet after that.

Instead of reading more letters, they all decided to go back to studying. Sirius kept stealing glances at the Slytherin girl sitting in front of him. He looked over the features in her face carefully. She was very pretty. Milky brown hair that he would have thought went on forever if he had not seen it end at her waist. Light blue, almost clear, eyes that captivated him every time he looked at her. Her lips looked perfect for snogging- what was he thinking? She's a Slytherin, for Merlin sake! But she wasn't a normal Slytherin. She was kind, funny, smart, didn't really seem to mind blood status, not to mention totally shaggable… she was everything that made up a Gryffindor. So why was she in the worst house at Hogwarts?

Sirius continued to stare at her. This girl was a mystery to him, now more than every after that latter. Here she was, a girl he had never seen so much as frown, scowling at a letter from a member of her own house. Why did it say? Why would it make her upset? Even when they tried to ask, she just smiled and told them not to worry about it. But after what she said about her not coming to them if she was ever in trouble, how could he not worry?

"See something you like, hon?" Clara smirked at Sirius without looking up from her work.

"Absolutely," he smirked right back.

"This is not about to happen," James said groaning.

"What?"

"You two are not about to start flirting with the rest of us sitting right here. I will not have it. Not have it I say!"

Clara laughed causing Sirius to fill with warmth. "Don't worry your pretty little head about that, Jamesy. I would never date a Gryffindor."

"Why not?" Remus asked certain sadness in his voice. But as quickly as it came, it went.

"You lot have won the Quidditch Cup one too many times for my liking, hon," Clara said pouting.

James laughed a joyful laugh. "That's because Gryffindor has the best chaser and beater in all of Hogwarts of course. The Slytherin House should know that by now."

"Oh they do," Clara said, "That's why they've been begging me to become the new seeker, so I can put you kittens in your rightful place."

James gaped at her. "You play?'

Clara rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Duh. There is no possible way I could go this long in the Wizarding World without playing the best game ever made. I mean honestly."

"I think I just fell in love with you," Sirius said.

Clara snorted, but blushed all the same.

She had never really thought of herself as one to attract male attention. Sure she had a little more than a few guys stare at her while she walked past, but Clara just assumed that it was because of how she acted or the things that she says. Guys had always called her pretty, but they would follow that complement with some stupid scheme to get into her pants. But of course when dealing with these four Gryffindors, she had to keep her cool and not show them just how lame she could be.

"Ah, hon," Clara gushed taking Sirius' hands in her own, "I've fallen in love with you too! Lets go get married and have children right now. And then after that you can rub my back for the rest of our live! Doesn't that sound like so much fun?"

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, no thanks."

Clara was going to say something snarky when someone else plopped down right besides her. She looked over and met Blake Livingston's naturally emerald eyes and Ravenclaw tie. Clara and Blake had a very complicated relationship that consisted of many snogs and even a shag or two, but they were never anything more than friends. Well friends that never really liked the other dating someone else, but that was beside the point.

"Kiss me," Blake said to Clara.

Clara just stared at him. He usually had a reason for out of the blue demands like this, but it had been a while since they had done anything so there was a little bit of shock.

"Blakey!" a very high-pitched voice came from the entrance door of the library.

"Clara, I need you to kiss me now." Blake's voice was somewhat urgent.

Clara did as she was told. She reached up and grabbed the back of Blake's neck slamming her lips to his. He responded with a groan almost immediately placing his hands on her hips pulling her closer. With one hand still on her hip and the other moving to tangle itself in her hair, Blake deepened the kiss with Clara causing her to moan quietly in his mouth. Now, Clara liked to think of herself as a good kisser but she was nowhere as good as Blake. His tongue roamed the inside of her mouth all the while trying to wrestle hers for dominance.

The Marauders sat back and watched the scene before them each with a little jealousy. Clara looked like the world's best kisser in the eyes of the four Gryffindors which made her that much more desirable.

"Blakey poo! Where'd you- oh." Clara snuck a peak over Blake's shoulder at the Hufflepuff girl with tears in her eyes. The girl covered her face and ran out of the library as fast as her short legs would go.

As soon as she was gone, Clara pulled back. "Another Hufflepuff, Livingston?"

Blake smirked at her. "What can I say, Hathaway? I got tired of waiting for you."

"It's been all of a summer," Clara snorted.

"But alas, my love, a summer is much too long for me. I need a good snog about once a day."

"You're a pig."

"Yet you still crawl into my bed when you're lonely," Blake wiggled his eyebrows at her making Clara giggle.

"So," Clara turned back to her work still smiling, "Who was it this time?"

"Nancy Grace," Blake said scrunching up his nose.

Clara gagged. "Isn't she a third year?"

"What's your point?" Blake raised his eyebrow.

"You're a sixth year. Seems like you're going a bit younger than you usually do." Clara tried to play it off like she didn't really care much, but Blake saw through her.

"Jealous?"

"No."

"Good, because she is never happening again."

"Bad kisser?"

"Not everyone can be you, my love."

Clara rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But just know, I'm never kissing you again now that your lips have been on those of a _Hufflepuff_."

Blake laughed. He grabbed Clara's chin and pulled her face towards his. As he softly ran his lips over hers teasingly, Clara melted a little. Blake knew exactly what he was doing, and even though she would never admit it to him, she loved when he teased her like this.

When he pulled back, Blake looked at her with a smug smile. "Now what were you saying, my love?"

Clara took a second to really look at him. Blake had gotten hotter over the summer. She didn't even know that was _possible. _He sat there with his beautiful green eyes, blonde hair, perfect square jawline, visible abs (even though he was wearing a shirt), and the slight bulge in his pants even though he wasn't the slightest bit hard… All of these things never really mattered to Clara; she liked other things about him. Whenever he wanted to, Blake could be the most romantic guy she's had ever met. He would protect her if she'd asked him to, even though she never had, and he has always been there for her.

"I hate you," Clara said a little breathlessly.

Blake chuckled. "Whatever you say, Hathaway. You'll be in the Ravenclaw tower by this time tomorrow. See you around." He leaned forward and planted his lips on hers one last time before getting up and leaving the Library.

Clara stared after him, watching as his buttocks moved with every step. _Merlin, _she thought, _does he have a nice bum or what?_

"So," James' voice, filled with humor, snapped her out of her thoughts, "You fancy Livingston then?"

Clara burst out laughing. "Me fancying Blake? Merlin no! I just use his body from time to time and he uses mine to get way from other girls." Then she paused. "That Hufflepuff is probably going to send a hex my way tonight at dinner."

"You seem like you fancy him," Peter said.

"Nah. He's a good friend is all."

"A really good friend by the looks of it," Sirius smirked.

"What can I say boys?" Clara sighed flipping her hair with a fake superior look on her face. "I can't help it if the all the men in this school are in love with me. I'm just so incredibly _lovable _that it's a wonder why Dumbledore himself hasn't made a move. Minnie would flip her shit if he did, now that I think about it. That's her man."

"No way," Peter snorted, "Dumbledore's a poof."

The other four stared at him.

"He is so not," Clara said.

"Yes he is," Peter said, "I heard from my Gran, who had a sister, who had a friend who dated Dumbledore's brother that he's gay."

Clara rolled her eyes. "Ten gallons says that your Gran's sister's friend is wrong."

Peter flashed her a grin. "You're on."

Clara and the boys parted ways around curfew that night, but not before making plans to sneak out to the kitchens that night. The Marauders made sure that Clara knew where the kitchens were, even though she'd been going there for years.

The more Clara thought about the Kitchens, the more she thought about the Marauders. How long had they been going there? How many times did they walk out just to have her walk in seconds later? How many times did they just walk past each other with out so much as a second thought? Now they were all friends. Now Clara could call them by their first names, and joke and laugh with them and not feel weird about it. Not that she felt weird about it in the beginning. The only thing she couldn't wrap her head around is the fact that they're Gryffindors.

She's a Slytherin. She's suppose to hate all the other houses… so why did she feel like she'd rather be in one of them instead of her own?

"Deep in thought, Hathaway?" a deep voice came from behind her.

Clara's head snapped around and she stopped walking. Standing before her was Rabastan Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Amycus Carrow, Evan Rosier, and Antonin Dolohov. Five of the worst Slytherin boys… all looking for her… this could not be good.

"Traded Snape for Dolohov and Lestrange did you?" Clara said trying her hardest to keep her voice leveled. She could take them easy, with the type of power that she had, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to have to use a power that could easily kill one of them if gotten out of hand.

Dolohov smiled at her. "Snape was never as good as us, love."

"Don't call me love."

"Why shouldn't he?" Rosier sneered. "You let Black and Potter call you that. Members of fucking _Gryffindor, _why shouldn't you allow the same curtsey to your own house?"

Clara chuckled. "Jealous are we, Rosier?"

"Enough," Malfoy said, silencing any retort that Clara had in her mouth. "We didn't come here to argue."

"Then why are you here," Clara raised her eyebrow.

"We must speak with you," Carrow said.

"Not in the mood to speak boys," Clara said turning her back on them, "Try again tomorrow."

She was just about to walk away when two large hands grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. Lestrange slammed her into the wall of the corridor holding her there. Clara tried to push the urge to rip his head off down while she smiled sweetly at him.

"Can I help you, Lestrange?"

"The Dark Lord wants to see you," he said as his hands started to roam her body.

Clara's blood turned to ice as fear filled her body. Voldemort wanted to talk to her? For what reason? No. Clara knew the reason. How could she not know; it was what she was born for after all. But so soon? Her real powers don't come until she turns seventeen. She couldn't really do anything for Voldemort that another powerful witch or wizard could. But yet he still sent his goons to collect her.

"Didn't I tell you to tell him to get lost? Why is it that he wants to talk to me so badly?" Clara whispered, not trusting her voice to be any louder.

"He will explain everything when you see him," Malfoy said.

"But first," Lestrange said quietly burying his head in her shoulder while his hands continued to roam all over her body, "The Dark Lord did want us to help… _loosen _you up a bit for him."

"Get off of me," Clara said in a firm voice but Lestrange wasn't listening.

His hands moved from her waist to the small of her back, to the back of her arse. All while the rest of his body towered over her. Lestrange moved his right hand to cup her left breast while placing small kisses all over her neck. Clara was frozen. She couldn't move, couldn't speak… she couldn't even breath. And this wasn't like her. Usually when someone unwanted touched her, she'd hex him or her into the next centaury, but something about the reason they were doing this to her was… terrifying.

_Kill him, _a voice inside her head hissed at her. _Kill this filth you are allowing to touch your body._

"Please…" Clara whispered tears blurring her vision. She didn't want to kill Lestrange… no matter how much he deserved it. "Please… stop."

"Lestrange, I'm giving you two seconds to get off of her before I murder you," a viciously calm voice came from the left of them.

Clara was much to petrified to even look at her savior. She was too busy thinking about Voldemort and why he wanted her.

Lestrange, however, stopped kissing her neck and turned to look. "Why would I do that? Besides, I'm not really sure this has anything to do with the four of you."

"Your two seconds are up," The voice said before a bright red light blew Lestrange off of Clara. She slid down the wall still in shock and fear as she listened to the curses and hexes flying back and forth from each group. Everything sounded like if was under water, lights flying back and forth, yelling, screaming… Finally Clara snapped out of it and looked up to see Malfoy laying on his back holding his bloody nose, Lestrange with puss filled boils all over his face and hands, Carrow frozen in mid-step towards the Marauders, and Rosier floating ten-feet in the air above her. Dolohov had run off somewhere between the fighting.

"You'll regret this, Black," Lestange yelled as he and Malfoy ran towards the Hospital Wing.

Sirius threw a few more hexes their way as they ran. When they were gone he helped James and Peter tie Rosier and Carrow up and through them a broom closet while Remus was making sure that Clara was okay.

"Clara," Remus's voice filled her ears. She turned her face from the other three boys to look at the one right next to her, who's face was full of worry and fear, like she'd never seen him before.

"R-Remus?" she whispered.

"Are you alright?"

She just stared at him. When the others were done they walked over to her and Remus. Everything seemed to sound like it was underwater again as Clara's mind filled with dark thoughts.

_He wants me,_ she thought to herself, _he wants me now. This is not good. I know what he wants... he wants me to bare him a child. But I can't! That child would be the destruction of everything good in this world. Voldemort wants me… This wasn't suppose to happen until my seventeenth birthday… What am I going to do?_

Two hands grabbed her face and turned it straight. Clara's eyes were met with two of the most beautiful grey orbs that she's had ever seen. Grey orbs that told her to trust them, that told her she would be safe… but she wouldn't be safe. She would never be safe again.

"Clara, baby, look at me." Sirius's voice was filled with concern, "I need you to talk to me, okay?"

Clara stared at him for a while, as if just noticing he was there, before nodding.

Sirius sighed relieved and let go of her face. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously something happened." James said, "What was Lestrage doing to you?"

"James," came Remus's warning voice. "Maybe now isn't the time."

"He was just going to… _loosen _me up a bit," Clara said quietly.

"WHAT?!" They all yelled making Clara jump.

Clara sighed and stood up. "Don't worry about it boys. Thanks for your help, but-"

"Don't you dare tell us you can handle it yourself." Sirius growled. "Lestrange was about to _rape _you and you're sitting here telling us that it's okay? That we _shouldn't worry?_ No. It's not okay and we are going to worry. You're sleeping in our room tonight. I'm not letting you go back to the Slytherin common room with those freaks there. And from now on, you're not allowed to go anywhere by yourself; are we clear?"

Too tired and lost in her thoughts to argue, Clara allowed Sirius and James to drag her back to the Gryffindor common room. When they got the Fat Lady painting James growled the password so viciously that the Fat Lady jumped and sung open as fast as she could. Sirius and James ignored all the strange looks that Clara noticed and continued to drag her up to the boy's dormitory.

In there, there were Quidditch posters every where, six giant beds all covered in red and gold sheets, clothes all over the floor, brooms at every corner, books all piled up at the end of the bed farthest to the left, and a smell of Old Spice and chocolate. This was completely different form the dungeons the Slytherins lived in. The Gryffindors rooms were bright and happy, whereas the Slytherin's were dark and mysterious.

Clara sighed and took off all her clothes until she was in nothing but a bar and knickers (ignoring Peter's gasp and stuttering), and climbed into the nearest bed (which happened to be Sirius's). She threw the covers over her head and closed her eyes.

"Clara?" James' voice came from outside the blanket.

She threw them off and looked at the four boys standing above her. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" Peter asked.

"Fine."

"We know you're not." Remus said kindly taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

"I'm fine, boys. Honestly it's not that big of a deal. Lestrange has done this so many times-"

"He's tried to rape you _before?" _Sirius snapped making Clara flinch.

"Well…" she said carefully trying not to make the others anymore mad, "Not me exactly, but other girls. Look it won't happen again, okay?"

"You're damn right it won't," James said, "Because if it does I'm going to kill him! No one touches my little sister without her permission."

Clara laughed. "I'm not your sister, James."

"No but you're the closest thing I've got, aren't you? I've known you for all of a week and I already feel like we've grown up together."

Clara didn't know what to say. She'd never had a big brother before… in fact she'd never had a _brother _before. It was nice to think that some one was looking out for her.

"Whatever you say, James." Clara said throwing the blanket back over her head.

"I think we should tell Dumbledore," Peter said.

"NO!" Clara sat up so fast that it shocked all four of the boys. "No, telling Dumbledore would be a _very _bad idea."

"Why?" Sirius asked.

Clara snapped her mouth shut. She couldn't say. Voldemort had found out from her father about her, and now he wanted to rape and impregnate her. If Clara were to have that _monster's _child then the war would be over. Voldemort would win in a matter of _minuets. _The same thing would happen if Dumbledore found out. He would force Clara to have a child and use it to fight a pointless battle that she refused to be in the middle of. No. Clara would not allow that to happen. She would never become her mother.

"It just is okay?" Clara snapped. Before the boys could ask anymore questions Clara sneered, "Look, I appreciate what you guys did tonight but drop it. Lestrange won't try anything again, I can promise you that. Dumbledore will not know of tonight's events, because none of you will tell him. I allowed you to drag me up here and make me sleep in here, but I will not have you controlling my life. What happened was nothing you should concern yourselves with. It's Slytherin business and Gryffindors don't belong, so _butt out_!"

And with that Clara threw the blanket over her head for the last time ending the conversation.


	3. Kelly

Chapter 3

Hot…so hot. Why was Sirius so hot? He's not normally this hot in his bed… Sirius rolled over eyes still closed and threw his arm out, only to have it be draped over another person's body. A girl's body… a _naked _girl's body. Now normally this wouldn't bother Sirius, it's happened to him too many times to count on two hands, but all of those times he had remembered that he was with a girl… or that he'd been drinking at least. There were sometimes when some of his fan girls would climb in his bed in the middle of the night, but he'd always woken up in time to stop them. Sirius slightly opened one eye, without removing his arm, and peeked at the random girl in his bed. He saw through the darkness the most beautiful woman he'd had ever seen. She had long wavy milky brown hair, ivory skin tone; small shoulders, an angelic look on her sleeping face… one hell of an ass, even though the red and gold blanket surrounding them covered that half of her body. The girl shifted a bit snuggling more into Sirius' arm. He almost shut his eyes at the sight of her with no clothes on, but then he saw her bra.

_Okay, _he thought to himself, _at least she isn't completely naked. Now if I could just remember who she is…_

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

Clara! This girl, this incredibly beautiful girl, was Clara. His new _Slytherin _friend, and really she was the only Slytherin worth talking to. How had he missed her after all these years? How had he just walked passed her in the corridors without so much as a second glance? There was something about tis girl that had caught his attention, but why now and not sooner?

While going over these questions in his mind, Sirius' hand involuntarily started moving around her body. At first to her arms, where it stayed a while rubbing up and down in a sort of protective manner, then to her stomach where it just sat barley touching her skin. Then Sirius' hand moved to Clara's waist, his fingertips hovering the slightest bit above her hip. By this time Sirius had propped himself up on one elbow and was staring down at her. He slightly moved his fingers around her waist until he hit a small swollen patch of skin in the form of letters.

_A brand? _Sirius though. _Who the hell would brand her?_

Ever so carefully, Sirius sat up and pulled the blanket away from her waist. When he did, his eyes were set on three letters… Initials… _T.M.R. _they said.

Anger filled Sirius. Clara was branded. Someone had actually taken hot iron and put it to her skin. She had probably screamed and cried and begged them to stop… Who would do something like that to someone like her? Clara was nothing but nice, pure happiness, yet someone thought it was a good idea to hurt her.

"What are you doing, creep?" a small voice interrupted Sirius' thoughts.

He looked up to Clara's face only to be met with the brightest blue eyes he'd had ever seen. They were so blue, they were almost clear and so…so… pretty.

_What is wrong with me? _Sirius thought to himself, _I'm Sirius Black! I don't think girls are beautiful, I think they're shaggable or not shaggable and nothing more! _

"Oi, you just going to sit there and stare, Fonzy, or are you going to say something?" Clara smirked at him.

Sirius wanted to say something clever, but instead he said something incredibly stupid. "You're branded."

Clara raised an eyebrow at him. She looked down to where his fingers were and saw the initials. _T.M.R. _Clara never knew what those letters stood for, but then again she never really thought of asking.

"Oh yeah," she said quietly, "I'm pretty sure my dad did that when I was five or something. It was a while ago, I know that much… Not really sure what they mean, or what name they stand for…huh."

"When you were _five?" _Sirius hissed sitting all the way up.

"Yeah," Clara shrugged nonchalantly, "Don't worry about it."

"Why do you always say that," Sirius challenged her, "Why is it never something to worry about when someone hurts you? Like last night! You were about to be raped and you told us not to worry, and now I find out that your father _branded _you when you were fucking _five-years-old _and it still isn't anything to worry about. Clara I like you, I really do, and even though I've known you for all of a week I feel like we've been together for longer, you know? So please, _please, _stop saying that you being hurt isn't something to worry about, like you don't matter or something. Because you do matter. A lot."

Clara lay there completely stunned. No one had ever said something like that to her, not even Jenny. She'd always kept things, like her branding and her father beating her to a bloody pulp when he was in a good mood, to herself. Whenever Jenny would find out, sure she would bitch about it, but never had she said anything more whenever Clara said the magic words, "Don't worry about it." Never had Jenny gotten offended and said something like "Please stop saying that." But Sirius had.

"I…" Clara had no idea what to say. What Sirius just told her made her insides a nervous reck, so she said the first thing that came into her head. "I… like stuffed animals."

Sirius just stared at her confusion all over his face.

Clara sat up and continued. "I really like stuffed animals, and my favorite color is red which has nothing to do with Gryffindor house, which happens to be my favorite house. I like it because it reminds me of the word 'Passion', which is not my favorite word. My favorite word is 'Running' because it means so many different things. I mean you could be running to something, from something, to or from someone, to the rest of your life or your first love, to happiness or pain, to memories, to…to…anything really."

Sirius continued to stare at her, making her even more nervous.

"Um… my favorite kind of weather is stormy because the rain sounds like a lullaby. I hate tea; I think it's the worst thing I've ever had to drink in my life. I'll take coffee or pumpkin juice any day. I love muggle things like their music and movies and books… Er… I share unnecessary things about myself when I get nervous. I can play the piano, guitar, violin, flute, and I sing a bit. Um, I love painting. It clams me down when I'm angry or sad or just feel like loosing it…"

"Clara…"

"Chocolate is my favorite kind of snack. I've never had a boy who just wanted to be with me without wanting to have nothing but sex all the time-"

"Clara."

"I smile all the time, even when I'm upset, because it makes Jen Jen feel better. I-"

"Clara!"

Sirius' voice snapped Clara out of her nervous ranting.

"Yeah?" she asked, eyes down refusing to look at him.

"For Merlin's sake clam down. I didn't mean to make you nervous or anything. Jesus, breath!"

Clara hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. She gasped a little as her lungs filled up with air.

"Sorry," she said.

Sirius laughed. "Don't be. It pleases me to know I can still make a girl nervous."

Clara was going to stick her tongue out at him and tell him off but the curtain of his bed was pulled all the way back to revile a tall dark haired girl with brown eyes and small boobs on the other side. She looked furious, and her eyes were red so she must have been crying.

"Kelly," Sirius said a little shocked.

"Who the hell is she?" this Kelly girl screeched.

"Whassgoinon?" came the drowsy voice of James from behind the drapes of his own bed. He poked his head out surveyed the scene and then decided the safest place was back underneath his own covers.

"Kelly listen-" Sirius tried.

"So this is your new slut, Sirius?" Kelly yelled. "You broke up with me for someone like _her_? I mean you could have at least broken up with me for someone better! She looks like nothing but a cheap whore!"

Clara laughed which seemed to make Kelly even angrier.

"Something funny bitch?!"

Clara just laughed even harder. "Oh, Merlin! I wish I had a camera to capture this lovely momment-"

_SMACK! _Kelly slapped Clara.

There was silence in the room. The rest of the Gryffindor boys (Frank Longbottom and Dean Patrick made the room complete) had come from their beds to watch the catfight.

"Don't you dare talk to me you filthy slut!" Kelly yelled in Clara's face, which was still turned the way Kelly's hand had moved it. "If you do it again I'll challenge you to a duel! Understand?"

Ever so slowly Clara lighted her fingertips to touch the stinging sensation that was her cheek. The last woman who had slapped Clara was her nanny when she was nine. After a yelling match the woman had thought that raising her hand to Clara was a good idea. The woman disappeared for three weeks and then came back completely lobotomized.

"I accept." Clara said, turning her face to stare at the crazy girl, with a smile on her lips.

"Excuse me?" Kelly said not fully understanding what she had just heard.

"Are you deft as well as stupid?" Clara sneered, "I said I accept your challenge. In fact I'll even go easy on you, I won't even use my wand."

The seven other people in the room stared at Clara in astonishment. Not only was she agreeing to fight a girl she had never met before, but she was agreeing to fight without her wand.

Kelly smirked. "You think you'll win without your wand?"

Clara rolled her eyes. "I think I'd win without my wand, blindfolded, and both hands tied behind my back."

"Well you sure are a cocky little bitch aren't you?"

"I have a right to be."

"Sure you do. After dinner tonight. You and me. Winner gets to go on a date with Sirius."

Clara snorted. "I'm not doing this for him, you daft cow. Sirius and I are nothing to each other. No, I'm doing this because you seem to be in need of someone to put you in your rightful place, which is at the bottom of my shoe. The fact that you think you can raise your hand to me and not face the consequences really pisses me off. Therefore I accept your duel. We'll meet in the entrance hall so make sure you have your second before dinner."

"Oh I will." Kelly said. And with that the dark haired girl walked out the room.

"Clara Marie Hathaway! You hold still this instant!"

"But Jen Jen it hurts!"  
"Oh for fuck sake- it's a damn _cold pack _that I haven't even touched you with yet."

"'Yet' being the key word there. Just the thought of it hurts."

"The only thing that's going to hurt you is me if you don't hold still."

The four Marauders watched the two girls argue with amusement. After Kelly left Sirius sent Peter to go get Jenny, who was already walking down the corridor to Gryffindor to yell at Clara for staying there. When Peter told her what happened, Jenny laughed and conjured a pack of ice to put on Clara's face.

"It should help with the swelling." Remus said as he brought a damp rag out of the boy's bathroom.

"I can't believe you got bitch slapped…" Jenny said to Clara with a smirk on her face as she took the rag from Remus.

"I can't believe I had enough control to not kill the bitch right then and there." Clara said.

"But you accepted her challenge, which is basically you sentencing her to death."

"Kelly is one of the best dullest I know," Sirius said.

Jenny looked at him and laughed. "Maybe, but Clara is more powerful than anyone in this school-ow!"

Jenny rubbed her arm where Clara had pinched it. Hard.

"What does that mean?" James asked.

"Nothing," Clara said. "Nothing to worry your pretty little heads about it, boys."

"Clara," Sirius said in a warning voice, "I thought we talked about this whole 'Don't worry about it,' business."

"You talked about what?" Remus asked.

"Oh just the fact that Clara thinks that her being hurt by anyone is nothing to be upset about."

"That's crazy," James said. "You know that right?"

"Well that's me." Clara stuck her tongue out at him, "One big ball of crazy."

She pushed Jenny's hands away from her face and stood up of the bed she was sitting on and started jumping up and down. "In fact, James, I am so crazy I just don't know how to contain myself."

Clara jumped off the end of the bed and flung Sirius' trunk open. She threw clothing after clothing on the floor behind her until she found his Quidditch jersey. Clara then pulled the jersey over her head and skipped out the room without another word to any of the other people staring at her. Even though Sirius only got a glimpse of her, he couldn't help but like the way Clara looked in his jersey. It hung a few inches above her knees, showing off her legs and made her look like the sexiest girl in all of Hogwarts.

"We should probably go get her," Jenny said.

"Why," replied Remus.

"She's planning on doing something stupid."

"How do you know?"

"Because."

And with that Jenny got up and walked out the room.

Clara, who was now in the hallway and in nothing but a Gryffindor Quidditch jersey, was getting some very interesting stares from other students.

"Skip, skip, skippadydoo! Skip, skip, skipadydoo," She sang at the top of her lungs.

She passed a few fourth year Hufflepuff girls and stopped.

"Hey, chicas! Guess what I just heard!" she said all excitedly and hushed.

The girls all looked at each other with very uncertain looks on they're faces. "What?" one of them asked.

"Sirius Black and James Potter are gay for each other!"

The girls gasped. "They are not!"

Clara smiled wickedly. "Oh they so are. I spent the night in their room last night and they slept in the _same bed._"

"No!" the girls said at the same time.

"You should have heard the noises coming from behind the curtains! It was like I was in the middle of a porno."

"What's a porno?" one of the girls asked.

"Uhhh….," Clara said rubbing the back of her neck, "Never mind."

A sudden idea popped into her head and she gasped. Clara ran all the way to the Slytherin common room and up the stair to her dormitory. She grabbed her record player, that over the years she has tinkered with magic so it would play at Hogwarts. After she was done with sorting through her albums and picking the right song, she then took off to the great hall. When she got there everyone who was still eating his or her morning breakfast looked up at her. She ran down the tables and got to Albus Dumbledore's chair.

"Hi professor," She said as she set the record player down in front of him.

"Hello Miss Hathaway," the headmaster said back to her with a humorous look on his face. Over the years Dumbledore has come to enjoy the craziness that is Clara Hathaway, just as he's come to enjoy the pranks set by the Marauders.

"Would you like to dance with me?" Clara asked him.

"Ah, yes." He said, his eyes twinkling, "I do believe I would quite enjoy that."

Dumbledore stood up and walked around the table just in time for Clara to take her wand (that she's earlier hid in her knickers) and turn the music on with a flick.

The entire great hall filled with drums and saxophones.

"_Come on baby! Let's do the twist!"_

Clara grabbed both of Dumbledore's hand and started twisting them back and forth making the aged man move his hips as well.

"_Take me by my little hands and go like this!"_

Clara took the headmasters arms and pulled them in so their chest were together and then pushed out so they were far apart.

"_Daddy is sleepin' and mamma ain't around."_

Dumbledore took Clara's right hand and twirled her around and around. Each time she caught the looks of the other students. Some were blue in the face with laughter; some were envious to the scene in front of them; other just didn't find it funny at all. They thought the evil Slytherin girl was mocking the kind old headmaster.

"_Come one, little miss, and do the twist!"_

Clara let go of Dumbledore and turned to the students just in time to see Jenny, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walk in. The four boys were completely astonished at Clara, but they could not deny that seeing the headmaster dance was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

"_Come on baby! Let's do the twist!"_

Clara started to move just one leg back and forth while making her hand do the same just above her knee. Dumbledore chuckled and did the same.

_Come on baby! Let's do the twist!_

Clara started to move both her legs at the same time and turned around, squatting while still moving, just to stand back up with her back to the now laughing Jenny. Jenny just couldn't take watching Albus Dumbledore do the same thing and not laugh.

"_Take me by my little hand!"_

Clara and Dumbledore twisted their hips fast so it made it seem like they were shaking their bums, which got even more laughs.

"_And go like this!_

Both Clara and Dumbledore turned just the top parts of their bodies around, nodded their heads and then started twisting just one of their legs again.

When the song was over the students clapped and cheered as well as the teachers. Clara turned to Dumbledore and held out her hand with a huge smile on her face. Dumbledore took and shook it firmly, smiling himself.

"Sir I must say, you are by far the greatest dancing headmaster this school has ever seen."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You're quite good yourself, Miss Hathaway."

"That's all I ever I ever wanted to hear from you, sir," Clara fake sniffed and wiped and invisible tear from her face.

Suddenly there was a very loud SMACK in the Great Hall, followed by a loud, "OPH!"

Clara turned and saw the two girls she had talked to earlier had slapped Sirius and -pushed James to the ground. The laughter died down a bit as the rest of the students watched.

"I loved you, Sirius Black!" screamed one of the girls, "How dare you! You could have at least told people to prevent heartache."

"Uhhh…" Sirius said to the girl, "Told you what exactly?"

"Erm, professor?" Clara whispered to Dumbledore.

"Yes?"

"Is there like a back door or anything?"

"Ah, yes." Dumbledore pointed to the right of them," There happens to be one right there."

"Clara told you that we were WHAT?" James yelled.

"And that would be my cue to leave." Said Clara as she ran to the door Dumbledore had pointed out.

"Get back here!" she could hear Sirius scream behind her.

She threw the door open and stared running. Again.

How long was she supposed to wait? I mean honestly this Kelly girl was the one who wanted to fight in the first place.

Clara stood in the shadows of the entrance hall staring down at her nails. She hadn't moved an inch since saying goodnight to the Marauders. Of course they wanted to watch but Jenny wouldn't let them, a good thing too, they could get hurt and Clara would not be okay with that.

Footsteps made Clara's head whip around. Kelly was approaching. Alone.

"I thought I told you to bring a second," Clara smirked steeping out of the shadows.

The Kelly girl didn't say anything, just stared at her.

"Oi," Clara said snapping her finger in front of the girl's face, "Earth to what's your face! Are we doing this or not?"

Kelly's gaze went down to her shoes and she shook her head no.

"No?" Clara said in confusion, "Why the hell not? I thought you wanted to win your date with Sirius."

"They told me what you did to her," Kelly whispered.

Clara was suddenly filled with so many emotions. Anger, regret, fear, sadness… anger.

"Who told you what," Clara said in the calmest voice she could muster up through all of the thoughts flowing through her head.

"Your Slytherin friends told me what you did to your mother."

"Who?"

"Your Slytherin friends."  
"Yes, but who exactly?"

"Your friends from Slytherin."

"I get that part! Give me names."

"Dolohov, Malfoy, Rosier, the Carrow twins, Lestrange, Snape-"

Clara ignored the rest of the names. She turned and stalked towards the Slytherin common room.

How dare they! Just because she was the subject of a conversation at one of their 'Death Eater' meetings, does _not _mean they have the right to around and spread that information to the student population! That kind of information in the wrong hands could…. Oh who was she kidding? That information was already in the wrong hands. Voldemort knew it for fucks sake. Clara snapped the password at the painting in front of her common room and walked in. She could see all the boys Kelly had mentioned huddled in one of the corners.

Clara walked up to them. "Just who the fuck do you guys think you are!" she yelled.

The whole of the common room went silent. Jenny, who was studying with Regulus Black, stood up ready to pull Clara back at a moments notice.

"Hathaway…" Rosier said nervously, "How are you tonight."

"How many fucking times do I need to tell you all to leave me alone? Was once not good enough? Would you like me to say to where it'll _stick_?"

The group of boys flinched.

"Hathaway," Snape said, "What are you-"

"And you!" Clara rounded on him; "We've gone all of these years without saying so much as three word to each other, and now all of a sudden you think you have the right to intervene in my life? What do you think your precious little Evens would think if I told her why you're _really _ignoring her?"

Snape's eyes narrowed.

"How do you think she would react if I told her all the things you've been saying about her? How you've been calling her a- what was it you said- 'filthy little Mudblood'?"

Snape shot out of his seat and reached for hi wand. Big mistake.

With a flick of her hand, Severus Snape went flying through the common room and right into a wall on the other side. His body hit the floor and was motionless. The other students all ran screaming to their rooms where they locked themselves in, in hopes that Clara Hathaway was scared of _wood._

Clara turned to the rest of the group of boys who now had looks of terror on their faces.

"This is your first and last warning," Clara said with enough venom to kill a Basilisk, "If you don't say out of my way, if you mess with my friends, if you put yourselves in the middle of my business, if you do anything that evolves me in any way, I will fucking _kill you_. Do we understand ourselves?"

The boys stared at Clara with shock and scared expressions. It had been years since they had seen her this mad.

"I said do you understand?" She yelled.

The boys all nodded.

"Good," said Clara. She turned to Jenny who was still standing there with Regulus Black staring. "Jen Jen, are you going to be much longer?"

Jenny smiled a little and shook her head. "No, I just finished."

"Oh goody!" Clara grinned, "Let's go to bed then. I'm beat."

She then turned to the Slytherin boys and smiled sweetly. "Goodnight boys. Sweet dreams."

She grabbed Jenny's hand and the two girls walked up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.

**Hey everyone! So I forgot to leave notes in the other chapters, but I'm here now. So yeah… tell me what you think, give me you critiques, yadda yadda. Thank you ever so much for reading!**

**~Aggie~**


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